Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
by Raiga Kagura
Summary: Link has been living in Kokiri Forest all his life when suddenly strange occurrences happen upon him. Does Link have the courage to save Hyrule?
1. Chapter 1

The legend

Of Zelda

Ocarina of time

**Hey Guys. First time making a story. Hope you enjoy!**

**Claimer: I own legend of Zelda.**

Chapter 1: the great deku tree incident

_This is a deep, deep forest that spreads over the eastern region of the kingdom of Hyrule…the Kokiri Forest. The Kokiris who live there each have their own fairy. But there was one young boy who, for some reason, didn't have a fairy. His name is…_

_Link…_

_ Shall I begin? Long, long ago…before the world had taken clear shape…it is said that three goddesses came down to Hyrule. One was Din, who brought fire and sculpted the red land. One was Nayru. With her wisdom she brought law to the world. The last one was…_

I rushed quickly through the forest to reach the Great Deku Tree. In my hurry, I accidentally knocked one of the twin brothers over. "Oh, sorry." I said, still running. "The Great Deku Tree's story is almost over. I'm in a hurry!" Suddenly Mido and his gang stopped me. Mido smirked and said "Hey, wait. You can't go in there." This always annoys me. "Why not Mido?" I asked. "I can go wherever I want." Mido crossed his arms. "'Cause I'm the head of the Kokiris." he said. "We can't let a defective twerp like you listen to the Great Deku Tree." Defective?! How dare he call me defective?!

"What're you talking about?" I yelled. "Get outta my way!" He grunted and got in my face. "If you want to get in, then why don't you show us your fairy?" This again? He always makes fun of me because I don't have a fairy! I was so angry that I head-butted him. This took him off guard and I was able to get on top of him. Then I grabbed his leg, twisted it around, and clamped my legs around it. I smiled and said "How 'bout that? That'll teach you to call me defective!" But then his fairy came up and smacked me into the water behind me. His gang (which was two other Kokiri) cheered and said "Woo-hoo! Defective jerk! That's what you get for messing with Mido!" I sat there in the water, dazed. Then I looked at them. "…Cheaters!" I yelled. Mido laughed and said "Who's cheating? My fairy is just another part of me, like my hands and feet!"

"Hey!" the Great Deku Tree boomed. "What's going on here?" "Uh-oh! He found us!" said Mido, as he and his gang ran. Mido turned around and said "No-fairy loser!" and they ran away. I think I know what Mido is saying, though. I'm different from the rest of the Kokiri. I walked to the Great Deku Tree and sat on his big roots sadly. I guess the Great Deku Tree noticed. He said "Cheer up, Link. Don't pay any attention to Mido." He doesn't know why I'm actually upset. I need to ask. I asked "Great Deku Tree, why am I different from everybody else?" I don't know why I ask, 'cause I already know his answer. He said it "You'll find out when the time is right." I sighed. "That's what you always say." "Link!" I recognize that voice. I turned and saw her running toward me. "Saria!" I hopped down, saying "Great timing! I've got something I want to show you." "What is it?" She showed the same interest as she always does.

I pulled out my sling-shot. "Ta-da!" I handed it to her. "I made it myself!" She inspected it. "What's it for?" I smiled and took it back, saying "This…" I pulled back on the sling. "You can use it to get fruit that's too high up in the trees to reach." I said as I shot and knocked the fruit I was aiming at off of a branch. "Oh, wow!" she said in amazement. "Hey, let me try!" I handed it to her and she aimed at a fruit. When she let go the nut flew to the far left…right into the face of…Mido? Hmm…maybe it was my imagination. Saria turned to me and said "It's amazing how you think up stuff like this." Now that I think about it… "I guess I am a little strange. Maybe that's why I have to wait forever to get my fairy…" Saria smiled sadly. "Oh, Link! Even without a fairy you're my very best friend!" She took my hand. "Okay?"

Saria always knows what to say. "Okay."

She pulled out her ocarina. "I'll play my ocarina! We'll dance!" she said happily. Then Saria started playing the song of the Lost Woods, though I think of it as Saria's Song. I danced to the music, which we do often. Then suddenly I remembered something. "By the way…" I said, looking into the pond in front of us. "…lately I keep having the same dream. The sky is dark. I'm standing before a huge house with pointy towers." Saria looked thoughtful. "Hmm…that sounds like a castle." A castle? "What's that? Have you seen one? Is it deep in the forest?" Why does something I don't even know about show up in my dreams? "The Great Deku Tree said it's something far away from the Kokiri Forest, across a great plain." Saria said. "He said the world is wide, with lots of different countries."

"The world?" Hmm…I wonder what the rest of the world is like…I wonder what's out there…all those things I've never seen… I went to my tree house and lay down. "If I told the Great Deku Tree that I want to leave the forest, I wonder if he would let me go." I thought out loud to myself. Just before I drifted off to sleep, I said surely "Probably…Not…"

…

"… Link! Link!" Who's calling my name? I jolt awake when something above yells "Wake up, Link. Wake up!" I rub my eyes and notice a fairy in front of me. "I'm Navi." she said. "The Great Deku Tree sent me." A…fairy… "Yahoo!" I yelled, chasing after her. "I finally got a fairy!" I guess I must've scared her because she was saying "D-don't touch me!" Well, I know what I'm doing next. "All right! I'm gonna brag to Mido!" Navi chased after me. "There's no time for that!" she cried out. Suddenly I fell through the floor and was suddenly below my deck…on top of Mido. Did he cut a hole in my floor? I wonder if he meant for me to fall through that when I got up in the morning. "Huh? Mido what are you doing here?" He glared at me. "What's it matter to you?! Never mind. Just get off!" I got off and then realized that the plants were wilting. "The plants are wilting…" I said in confusion. Mido looked scared. "Th-the trees, too! I've never seen anything like this before!" "Something evil has come to the forest!" Navi said. "The Great Deku Tree is in trouble! Link, you have to hurry!" I looked toward the entrance to the Great Deku Tree. What am I going to do?

Chapter 2: link's journey begins

"Great Deku Tree!" I called out as we ran up to him. I knocked on his trunk with my fists. "Great Deku Tree, what happened? Please answer!" I continued banging on his trunk. "He's cold…" Mido said. "L-like he's dead." "Link? Mido?" I didn't have to turn around to know that Saria was there, along with all the other Kokiris. Then I heard it. A laugh. Suddenly, a huge eye popped out from the Great Deku Tree, followed by its body. I fell backward. "This is it Link!" Navi called. "This is the thing that cursed the Great Deku Tree!"

Then the creature spoke. "Stone…" All of the Kokiris, including me, screamed. "Give me…the stone…Hee…hee hee…" it said, receding back into the Great Deku Tree. "Where is the stone?" There was a tunnel in the Great Deku Tree where the monster left. I stared at it intently. Then I grabbed my sling-shot. "Link?!" Saria sounded scared. I yelled back "I'm gonna get that thing!" "Wait! I'm coming too!" Mido yelled, running up to me. He pulled out a sword. "Look here! The legendary Kokiri Sword!" We entered the Great Deku Tree.

I looked over at Mido and noticed that he looked way too determined. I was worried that he could get into trouble, even if he's been mean to me. I said "Don't get excited Mido." He glared at me. "Shut up! I won't let you show off for Saria all by yourself!" Show…off? "What're you talking about?" I stared at him. He grunted. "I won't let you have her!" He yelled "Hey! C'mon out here, you monst- Aghmmph!" he said as he walked into some sticky stuff. "What's all this goo?!" I pulled him out. "Shh!" Navi shushed him. "I hear something strange…"

I heard it, too. It sounded like a munching sound. I looked behind me when I heard the voice that I would never forget: "The stone…Where's the stone…" I realized what it was doing. "Is it…eating the Great Deku Tree?" It glared at me as it continued its munching. Then it turned toward us. "Shall I…take a bite out of you as well?" Mido and I screamed. The monster flung its claw forward, right at me! I fell back and started shooting nuts at it with my sling-shot. "Return the Great Deku Tree to normal!" I yelled. Why is it not having any effect? "Give me the stone…" it said. "Where is the stone?" I yelled "It's no use!" What stone is it talking about? "Link!" Navi yelled. "Mido is-" She didn't have to finish her sentence. I turned and saw Mido standing, frozen with fear, as the monster lifted its claw. I pushed him to the side just as the claw came down. "That was close! Don't freeze up!" I yelled at him. "Shut up!" he yelled back. "Leave me alone!"

"Ouch!" A rock suddenly hit me in the head. I looked behind me and noticed that the monster was right behind me. "Yikes!" I yelled, falling backwards. Wait. I tried getting up but I couldn't. I was stuck on that sticky stuff! "I…I…I can't move!" I groaned. "Stupid monster!" I kept shooting nuts at it. "Don't come any closer!" I grabbed my last nut. Only one shot left! The monster glared at me. I could feel tears coming to my eyes. Great Deku Tree… Suddenly a rock hit the top of the monster. I looked over to see Mido throwing rocks at it. "Blast!" he yelled. "Link's attacking, but so am I!" "Mido!" I guess he just now realized that I was stuck because he looked at me with complete horror and didn't even come close to hitting the monster with his next shot. "Where are you aiming? Sheesh!" Navi said. The monster let out a roar and trembled. "Link!" Navi cried. "Gohma's weakness is her eyeball! Aim for her eye!" I shot the final nut right into her eye. Gohma let out another roar. Mido helped me up. When we looked again, Gohma was lying there but…she was different. She was a little bug now.

"So that's what Gohma looks like?" Wow. That's new. "Just a tiny bug!" Mido said. We looked at each other. I shrugged.

…

"Great Deku Tree!" I huffed. "Great Deku Tree, we defeated Gohma!" Both Mido and I were exhausted. "Good job, Link. And you too, Mido." said the Great Deku Tree. "Your combined strength broke the curse." I smiled up at the Great Deku Tree. Mido seemed pretty proud of himself, too! Then the Great Deku Tree's next words shocked me. "But…my life cannot be saved." "What!" Mido and I yelled. "Why that can't be! Don't die Great Deku Tree!" I ran up one of his roots and leaned my head against his trunk. I could feel tears filling my eyes. "I fought so hard! This can't be happening!" I cried. "Link, listen closely." the Great Deku Tree said. "While Gohma was eating me, I could read her thoughts. She, too, had been cursed. The one in control of this horrible, evil power… is king of the people of the Black Desert. He plots to capture the triforce and rule over Hyrule."

"The triforce?" I remember the Great Deku Tree tell stories about it. "The triforce has held the power of the gods since ancient times. Whoever touches it has the power to remake the world in the image of his own heart." He said. "If a pure heart touches it, the world will be good…if an evil heart touches it, the world will be consumed by evil." The triforce must be really important then. Why is he telling me this though? "If you have the courage, you can defeat his plans…" So that's why. "Why me?" I asked. "I can't fight against…something so scary."

"Yes, you can!" the Great Deku Tree said. "Learn about the outside world and grow big, Link." Wait. So I am getting to go outside. I'll do it. "Listen closely." he said. "Go to Hyrule Castle. There is a princess there who has been chosen by the gods. Give her this stone." A green stone appeared above my hands. "This is the stone that the evil one wanted so badly that he put a curse on me. The Kokiri's Emerald!" I put it into my stock. "I'm counting on you, Link." he said. "I believe in you." I smiled at the Great Deku Tree sadly. "I understand." I said. "Thank you Great Deku Tree." Parts of the Great Deku Tree started splitting. "You must…make a shield from my…remains." Navi flew up to him. "Great Deku Tree…" "Navi…help Link. I'm counting on you, too." he said. "Good-bye…everyone…good…bye…" And so the Great Deku Tree dies. Tears poured down my face. I wiped them away and said "Mido, lend me your sword." He gave it to me and I got to work. In a few minutes, I have created it: the Deku Shield. "Let's go, Link" Navi said. I smiled.

"Okay, Navi." "Go? Where are you going?" Mido cried out. "We Kokiris can't leave the forest!" I turned toward him. "I want to see the outside world, Mido." I said. "To see how big it is and what's out there…with my own two eyes." He looked at me with shock on his face. "I'll be back after I deliver the Kokiri's Emerald." I held out the sword to Mido. "Just…just take the sword!" he yelled, pushing it back toward me. He was crying. "Get out of here and never come back!" Wow! What did I do to anger him this much? Well, might as well get a move on. I ran, as Mido continued yelling "You hear me? Don't come back, you jerk!" I just kept running.

I was halfway across the bridge that led to the tunnel, leading to the outside world when I heard "So you're going?" I looked behind me. "S…Saria…" She looked so sad. I don't like when she's sad. "I've always known I was different from everyone. Like I'm from somewhere…" Saria looked confused. I smiled. "But…this is my home!" She smiled back. "Yeah." She pulled out her ocarina. "Please take my ocarina…it's a gift." She held it up to her lips. "Play it sometimes and remember the forest…okay?" She started playing her song, teaching me the notes. Then she handed the ocarina to me. I smiled at her one last time and ran through the tunnel. I was on an open field. I gazed outward. Then I started running. It looks like my journey begins!

Chapter 3: the mystery of the triforce

"It's so big!" I said in shock, as we bumped along on a milk carriage. "It's a good thing we ran onto this carriage, isn't Link?" I nodded. Navi and I had been going across the fields that led to the castle. I didn't expect it to be so big and eventually got to the point where I was dying of thirst! Then we came across this carriage and the man said he was headed for the castle and asked if we wanted a ride. He even let me drink some of the milk! Now we're headed for the castle. "Did you say the person at the castle who we have to meet is called Princess Zelda?" I asked Navi. "Yes." she said. "We must give her the Kokiri's Emerald."

The man directing the carriage said "Hey! We're there! The Castle Town!" I looked up. Wow, it's amazing! I got off. "Wow! So many people!" I cried. "This is the 'world'?" I smiled in amazement. Navi and I looked around. "What a big building!" I said. "Navi which one's the castle?" "Uh…Hmm…" Navi was confused, too.

…

How long have we been looking? "All this travelling…I'm so hungry…" I grumbled, clutching my stomach and sitting on the ground. "Hang in there!" Navi said. "You just had some milk, right?" Even if I had, it's not food. Then I heard a voice. "Welcome! It's cheap! You'll be sorry if you don't and look!" I looked over and saw a bunch of food I have never even seen before. "Ah, food!" I yelled. I grabbed a bunch and started eating. Amazing! "Mm…good! It's a hundred times better than the fruit in the forest!" Suddenly, I heard yet another voice behind me. "Hey, kid!" I looked behind me. "You've got money for all that, right?" Money? "Money? What's that?" People started yelling about how I was a thief or something. Then the man who had spoken from behind me lifted me off the ground and took the Kokiri's Emerald! "Ah!" I yelled. "Give it back! Give it back!" The man growled "Pay for your meal and you can have it back." He held it out of reach as I tried to grab it.

"Wait!" called a voice. I looked over as I continued to try to get back the stone. There was a girl standing behind the man. "I'll pay for him. Give back the stone." The man dropped me when she handed them something. "Two hundred rupees?!" he cried out. The girl grabbed my hand and started pulling me away from them. "Who are you?" I asked. "It doesn't matter. Hurry!" We ran until we came to a fountain, as she called it. I sat down on the side. The girl looked at me thoughtfully. "So you're from the forest, eh?" she asked. "Yeah." I looked at the stone." Thanks. This thing is really important." She smiled. "It's a pretty stone." "It's the Kokiri's Emerald! The Great Deku Tree told me to give it to Princess Zelda."

The girl stared at the stone, then looked at me. She put her hands behind her back. "Really?" I nodded. "That's why I have to go to the castle!" I hopped down and got ready to head that way. Suddenly, she said "But I doubt you can get into the castle all by yourself. The guards are pretty strict." "Huh?" The guards aren't going to let me in? I turned to Navi. She was clearly thinking. "What should we do Navi?" The girl smiled and clasped her hands in front of her. "I'll make you a deal. You play with me today…" She smiled widely. "…and if you do, I'll take you to see Princess Zelda!" She can do that? "Really?" The girl winked. "She's a great friend of mine. Here, I'll prove it!" She handed me an ocarina. "An ocarina?" Then I noticed something on the side. "Hm? This mark…" It was three triangles. One triangle connected to the top points of the other two, which the points also connected.

"Uh-oh!" the girl said, and she hid behind the fountain. What's she doing? Then a woman came up to me. "Young man, have you seen a noble girl around here? She has blonde hair and blue eyes." This woman scared me, but I wasn't going to rat the girl out. "N-no…M-ma'am." She turned around and left, two soldiers behind her. "Thanks." said the girl. She yanked on my arm. Man that hurts! She yelled "Ok, let's go! That shop over there looks interesting!" So we explored the town. I waited while she looked at the shop. Navi whispered in my ear "Hey, Link, are you sure about this? There's something strange about that girl." I frowned, confused. "But…she says she can take us to Princess Zelda." I thought for a moment and then smiled, scratching my head. "Well she is really cute…" I think that made Navi mad. Oops…heh. Then the girl came up to me with…a whole lot of Goron Manju! That scared the nuts out of me! "I bought a bunch!" She handed the bag to me and squealed. "I got extra because the shopkeeper said I was cute!" I just stared.

…

"Bomb-chu bowling…what's that?" the girl asked as we looked at a poster. "I don't know, either." We went inside and tried it. What you have to do is make a moving bomb hit the middle of a target without hitting any obstacles. Once you let go of the bomb, you have no control of it. I pumped my fist in the air when the girl hit the target. "Yaaay! This is fun!" We both aimed. I decided to start up a conversation. "Hey, what's Princess Zelda like? Is she pretty?" The girl concentrated on her aim. "Yeah, I guess…" I turned to Navi and made a funny face. Jokingly, I said to Navi "Nah! I bet she's really ugly!" Suddenly, my bomb exploded. I thought the bombs don't explode until a little bit after you release them or they hit something. I stood there, bewildered.

The woman taking care of the place asked "Play again?" I shook my head and the girl and I left, ready to explore more of the town. There was a mask shop and a shooting range. I let the girl use my sling-shot there and she got a perfect score! "That was fun!" I said opening the door for us to leave. It was dark outside. "Is it night already? Time really flies." The girl took off her bunny hood. She looked sad. "The day is over. Thanks for today." She walked over to the fountain and leaned on it. "I…wanted to see what it was like, even just once, to go shopping and pay by myself and play…" She stared at her reflection for a few moments, and then looked up at me. "…just like a normal girl." I stepped toward her, so that I was right in front of her. "Your name…" I smiled and pointed at myself. "Tell me your name. I'm Link." She looked at me and I smiled wider. "Let's play again sometime!" She looked like she had never had a friend before, so why not? She clutched her fist to her chest. "I'm…" I heard a clomping noise and turned around to see women running toward us. They flipped in the air and landed in front of us. "Wh-who are you guys!" I cried out. The woman in front said "Girl…we know who you are! Give us the Ocarina of Time!" The girl ran.

"You cannot escape!" said one of the women as she went to attack the girl. I quickly drew my sword and blocked the attack. I stood poised, ready for the next attack. The woman glared at me. She huffed "Who are you?" One of the other women said "Shh! someone's coming!" They started running down a valley. "W-wait!" I yelled, running after them. I chased them until they rounded the corner and disappeared. What if they went after the girl?! I ran back to check on her, but when I got to the spot, she was gone. "She's gone…" I said, looking around. "She probably just went home." Navi sighed. Girls can be fickle." I noticed the girl's ocarina on the ground. Navi said "We're wasting time! Let's go to the castle, Link." I picked up the ocarina. This is hers…she showed me earlier…It sorta looks like the ocarina Saria gave me…but it's different.

…

The morning drew near and I'm headed for the castle. The guard wouldn't let me in, so I'm sneaking around, climbing vines. Then I sneak into the castle, where there are even more guards. I snuck around them as they moved. Finally, I was in the castle courtyard. The princess was looking through a window. "Uh…" I stuttered. "Um…" Why is my heart racing? Still facing the window, the princess said "Link…I still haven't told you my name, have I?" She hasn't told me her…wait! Is she the girl I met from before?! "Y-you're…" She turned around. It is her! "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule." I stared at her. I can't believe it! "Link!" Navi yelled. I blushed harder. I came here for a reason. "Oh, right!" I pulled out the Kokiri's Emerald and handed it to her. Then I pulled out the ocarina. "And this…" I said, handing it to Princess Zelda. "You dropped it yesterday. I thought maybe…" She took it and smiled. I scratched my head. "Wow, what a surprise! You should have told me…"

Zelda looked behind me, glared, and hid the ocarina. I looked behind me to see a man entering the courtyard. "Greetings, Princess Zelda…" he said in a deep voice. "I have just met with your father." Zelda said "Lord Ganondorf…entering this courtyard without permission is an insult!" "My apologies." Ganondorf seems kind. "Cementing relations between my people and Hyrule is an honor." Ganondorf smiled. "This is a land filled with beauty…and you, Princess, are the most beautiful thing of all." Zelda continued to glare. She yelled "Save your flattery! And leave my sight!" I looked at her in confusion. Did something happen between these two? Ganondorf bowed and began to take his leave. Before he left, he said "It is said, Princess, that you possess the Ocarina of Time…" He seemed to be in thought. "…the greatest treasure of the Hyrulean family. I wonder if you might show it to me sometime?" Zelda smirked. "I don't know anything about it. Odd, a gang of thugs asked me the same thing yesterday." She looked over to me, then looked back at Ganondorf. "They wouldn't happen to be acquaintances of yours?"

Ganondorf looked at me then. He apparently just found out that I was there. He glared what looked like a death glare at me. I don't even know Ganondorf, but I do know he's up to no good. I stared back. Ganondorf turned and left. Zelda sighed and said "That was Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudo, who live in the Western Desert. He's swearing fealty to my father now…but his real goal is to acquire the triforce in my country's Sacred Realm." I gasped. "Triforce?!" Is he the one the Great Deku Tree warned me about? Zelda and I sat on the steps. "I had a dream…A horrible dream in which Hyrule was covered by a pitch black cloud. But then a ray of light broke through, shining down on the land…revealing a figure accompanied by a fairy and bearing a shining green stone."

A fairy…A stone…I pointed at myself in question. Zelda smiled. "The first time I saw you I knew…you are the one in my dream. I'm scared. Without a doubt, Ganondorf is the dark cloud I saw. His black heart will destroy Hyrule, I can feel it!" Then she closed her eyes and frowned. "But father won't believe me." I understand why he doesn't. Her father hasn't dealt with the evil. "I believe you!" I, on the other hand, have. "His evil power killed the Great Deku Tree." Zelda looked at me. "We can't let him have the triforce." I narrowed my eyes. "Where is the triforce? Where's this Sacred Realm?" "The entrance to the Sacred Realm is in the Temple of Time. But the door is sealed fast by a wall of stone. It is said that in order to open it you must gather three Spiritual Stones…and bring them to the temple."

Zelda took out her ocarina. "But you need one more thing-a treasure of the Royal Family…This…the Ocarina of Time." I stood up. "I'll do it! I'll find the other Spiritual Stones!" I surprised Zelda with the sudden action. "Link?!" "Princess Zelda, please keep the ocarina. I'm going to find the other two stones and then return!" Zelda stood up and smiled. "Yes, Link. You must keep the triforce out of Ganondorf's grasp!"

Chapter 4:

The search for the spiritual stone of fire

_Long, long ago…before there was any life on land or in the sea…the three golden goddesses came down to the chaotic land of Hyrule…Din, the Goddess of Power…whose strength lay in fire, which she used to forge the red earth. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom…who bathed the land in her wisdom and brought order out of chaos. And Farore, the Goddess of Courage…who protected that order and, from her great heart, brought life to the world. _

_When these tasks were completed and it was time for the three goddesses to return to Heaven, they left behind a golden pyramid-the Triforce-and the surrounding land became the Sacred Realm. Legend says that the Triforce will grant the wishes of anyone who holds it. So to protect it from those with evil hearts…ancient sages built a temple and sealed the entrance with the Door of Time. "He who gathers the three Spiritual Stones…must stand in this spot with the Ocarina of Time._

Princess Zelda held the Ocarina of Time to her lips and began playing the song that must be played, the Song of Time. When she finished, she smiled. "'If he does…the door will open.' This is the secret of the Sacred Realm, passed down from generation to generation in the Hyrulean Royal Family. My mother told me before she died. She said never to speak of it to anyone…or about the ocarina either." I thought for a second. She's not supposed to tell anybody? "Are you sure you should be telling me something so important, Zelda?" If she's not supposed to tell anyone, she probably shouldn't have told me. She smiled. "You believe my tale. Even my father didn't believe me. That's why…I believe in you." Now my heart's racing again. I scratched the back of my head nervously. I think I'm blushing. How embarrassing! "Aww…I didn't do anything special…"

I felt an air behind me. I looked behind me and jumped back in surprise when I saw the woman who had questioned me while Zelda was hiding. "This is Impa, a Sheikah. She's my bodyguard." Zelda turned to Impa. "Impa, this is the messenger from the forest I saw in my dream." Impa smiled down at me. "It's my job to protect Zelda. I was watching you all day yesterday…including your battle with the bandits." Huh?! Did she know that I was with Zelda the whole time?! Does she think that I'm terrible for lying to her? Impa folded her arms. "You are worthy to carry the princess's secret…a young man with great courage." Zelda looked at Impa and giggled. "Impa, you see everything, don't you?"

If she knows so much, maybe she knows where the Spiritual Stones are! "Do you have any idea where the other two stones are?" I asked. Impa said "I don't know where the Spiritual Stone of water is…but I've heard that Darunia, the leader of the Gorons, has the Spiritual Stone of Fire." That's good enough for me. "Got it!" I said as I began to run for the way I got here through. "Link, wait!" I looked at Zelda and smiled. "Don't worry, Princess Zelda!" I clenched my fist. "I'll find the stones before Ganondorf does! I swear it!" Zelda smiled back. "Good…and I'll make sure that Ganondorf…doesn't steal this ocarina. Be careful, okay?" Then she kissed me on the cheek…

I was dazed for a minute, swooning over the kiss. I dashed out and I guess I was a little too excited because I forgot about the guards. I think I surprised them, so I continued running as they ran after me. Oops, I'm knocking over some of the vases.

I felt a yank on my tunic. Impa grabbed me up. I continued swooning over the kiss. "Don't worry about him." Impa said. "I'll escort him out." She thrust me outside a window, which made me scream, but she held onto me. "That's Death Mountain, where the Gorons live." Impa set me down. She smiled at the plains. "We must protect this beautiful land of Hyrule." Impa looked down at me. "Did you say your name was Link? The peace of this country depends on your courage. We're counting on you." I have seen the evils of Ganondorf. I'm ready to fight. I jumped out the window, saying "Leave it to me, ma'am!" I began running across the plain, saying "Let's go, Navi! To Death Mountain!" "Ok!" she answered.

…

"I wonder what Saria would think if I told her we were going to save Hyrule." We continued across the plains to Death Mountain. I was in high spirits on the way there as I continued to think of Zelda. Wait. Did Navi say something? I smiled widely at her. "Hm? What did you just say?" Navi bounced on my head. "For shame! Your head is full of Princess Zelda!" I covered my head as she continued to hit me. "Did you forget about Saria?" "N-no! I'd never…" Saria…I pulled out the ocarina she had given me and stared at it. _Play it sometimes and remember the forest._ I smiled and held it up to my lips. I wonder what everyone back at Kokiri Forest is doing…And so I began to play Saria's Song.

I heard a clip clopping behind me. I looked to see a pony gallop up to me. I played Saria's Song again, backing up. The pony followed me. I smiled at it. "Where'd you come from? You like this ocarina?" It let out a whinny. I played Saria's Song again as I hopped on its back. I nearly dropped my ocarina because I quickly had to hold on as it immediately began to move forward. "You're fast! This is great!" I yelled as wind whipped my hair around. "Go! Go! All the way to Death Mountain!"

...

Rocks tumbled down the mountain as the pony, Navi, and I made our way up it. A rock rolling by nearly hit us. "It's dangerous here." I'm going to have to be careful. I got off the pony, leaned on a huge rock, and looked around. "Do people really live here? It's so barren…" Suddenly, the rock under me flipped over, knocking me backwards. It said "Hey, this is unusual. **Goro **Oh, look! A visitor! **Goro**" I got up. "This is where the Gorons live. **Goro **It's dangerous for children here. **Goro**" I need to get in the Goron Village! I yelled "Take me to your leader, Darunia! I want the Spiritual Stone of F-" A rock, or a Goron, suddenly rolled over me.

…

"What? The Spiritual Stone of Fire?" Darunia said questioningly. The Goron had taken me to him earlier like I demanded. Darunia sat down. "Can't be done. It holds the spirit of our people. You think we'd just give it to some little twerp?" Hey! I'm not a little twerp! I really need that stone. "You don't want Ganondorf to take over Hyrule, do you?" "PIPE DOWN!" Darunia boomed, punching through the rock wall. He's got a lot of strength! I'm worried about trying to get the Spiritual Stone of Fire now. Darunia pulled his hand out of the wall with a crack. He had a small, round part of the wall in his hand! What is he-he ate it! After munching on it for a bit, he spit it out. "Accckkk! These taste horrible!" Okay?

He pointed toward a group of Gorons. "We Gorons are rock-eaters." That explains why he ate the rock. "But the dragon that lives in Dodongo's Cavern has been acting up…so we have to hunt for our favorite rocks. That doesn't leave time to deal with twerps like you. **Goro**" Darunia stood up. "If you want the stone so badly…Link, or whatever your name is…then show your courage by defeating the ancient dragon, King Dodongo!" I actually expected that I would have to do something to get the other spiritual stones, but I have to fight a dragon?!

I heard crying behind me. I turned around to see a mother Goron with her child. The child was begging for food and its mom was trying to comfort it without success. A Goron came up behind me and said "That child has hardly eaten anything for a month. **Goro **Unless we do something, he'll die of hunger. **Goro**" He'll die?! I have to save the Gorons! I'll do it! I turned to the Goron that had just spoken. "Lead me to the cavern!" I demanded. He seemed surprised. "Huh?" Then he looked scared. His eyes widened and he pointed at himself. "ME?" He curled up and said "No way! **Goro **Too scary! **Goro**" Seriously? "But you're dying of hunger anyway!" I yelled.

…

I had finally convinced the Goron to take me to the cavern. The pony had decided to come with us. "Are you really going in there? **Goro**" the Goron fretted. I took a step toward the cave. The Goron was right behind me. "Five of my friends went in there searching for stones because they couldn't stand the hunger…they never came out again. **Goro**" I swallowed. What if that happened to us?

…

Deep inside the cavern, the Goron and I searched for the dragon. I used a Deku Stick, which had fire on the end, to light our way. I noticed something on the ground. "What's this?" I asked. The Goron looked down at the weird looking things. "A famous product of Dodongo's Cavern, Bomb Flowers! **Goro**" They are called Bomb Flowers? I picked one, saying "Oh…they're flowers?" Then I heard a strange hissing sound. Is it coming from the Bomb Flower? I looked more closely at the flower. Then it exploded in my face.

The Goron laughed. "If you pluck them, they explode. **Goro**" I stood there for a moment, in a daze, then mumbled "You could've told me that sooner." Suddenly, there were ground-shaking thumps. The Goron was immediately frightened. "Th-those footsteps…" The Goron started running, screaming "Yikes! I'm outta here! **Goro**" I grabbed at his shoulder, yelling "Careful!" Suddenly, with a mighty shriek, Dodongo came around the corner. Wait…THAT'S DODONGO? "It…It's huge!" I cried out. I hopped on the pony and the Goron started running. We both barely got out of the way of a huge blast of fire from Dodongo's mouth.

"Run for it! I can't do anything against something that big with a sword or sling-shot!" I began to panic. What if it kills us? I looked behind me to see where it was. It was far behind us. I sighed in relief. "Hey, he's pretty slow." I told the Goron. Then Dodongo rolled up into a ball and came rolling at us. He was rolling fast! "HE'S FAST! HE'S FAST!" I screamed, urging the pony to run faster. Instead, the pony lied down and covered its eyes. "This is no time to lie down!" I yelled in panic. I got off and immediately fell to the ground. I covered my head and Dodongo just rolled by…and crashed into a wall. I see! He's big, but he's not very bright.

It unfurled and stomped toward me. "Okay, watch this!" I yelled. I ran toward the Bomb Flowers and grabbed one. I jumped against the wall so that I was above the dragon. "Hey, you big salamander, let's see how you like…" It opened its mouth wide to shoot fire at me. "…a mouthful of this!" I finished, throwing the bomb into its mouth. I landed on the ground as Dodongo shut its mouth. The bomb exploded and Dodongo fell. "Score!" I yelled, pumping my fist in the air.

…

Darunia and I watched as the Gorons ate their fill. Darunia said "To tell the truth, Ganondorf has been here already." He looked at me and smirked. "He offered to take us under his protection in exchange for the spiritual stone. But when we refused, he made Dodongo turn violent." He turned to me. "You, on the other hand…" He held up his hand and the space above it started sparkling. "You are a true man among men! Here, take this. It's a symbol of our gratitude…" He handed me the spiritual stone. "…and eternal friendship! **Goro**"

I looked at the stone and smiled. The Spiritual Stone of Fire…the Goron's Ruby! Darunia picked me up and put me on his shoulder. He yelled "From this day on, you are a brother to the Gorons! Hey everyone, tonight we're having a celebration! I'm gonna dance!" All of the Gorons cheered. A Goron whispered to me "Darunia may not look it, but he loves to dance. Goro" Oh, really? I pulled out the Saria's ocarina and began playing Saria's Song. Darunia went crazy! It was a fun night. Then I realized that the pony was gone. "Huh? Where's that pony? Hey!" I called, but she was gone.

Chapter 5:

Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly

_ A castle is…burning. But it's not…Hyrule Castle…I wonder where I am…and who that person is._

_ "Link…Link…Link…"_

"Agh! Great Deku Tree!" I woke with a start. I realized that I was in Hyrule Field, sleeping under a tree. "It was just a dream." I said to myself. I pulled out the spiritual stones and smiled at them. "The Kokiri's Emerald. The Goron's Ruby. Only one left!" I sighed and leaned back on my hands. "But I have no idea where to find the Spiritual Stone of Water!" Navi mumbled "I bet the Great Deku Tree knew where it was…"_"Link…I believe in you." _That was the Great Deku Tree's last words. I got up. "Let's go, Navi! Let's get out there and find it!" "Yup!"

Wait, what's that sound? I stopped running to listen. "What's the matter, Link?" Navi asked. I answered "I hear singing. Who could it be so late at night?" I followed the sound to a ranch. "It's coming from over there." Navi flew past me to take a look. "A ranch? But it looks deserted." Navi started trembling. "It's gotta be a ghost…let's get out of here!" I stared at her, then muttered "Even though you're a fairy you're scared of ghosts?" Something hit me head on. Navi started freaking out. "There it is! Nooo! Run, Link! Ru-Huh?" I opened my eyes to see the pony sniffing me. I smiled, got up, and hugged the pony. "You! The pony from before! So this is a horse ranch?" The pony neighed.

"Who are you?" I jolted when I heard the voice behind me. I turned to see a girl sitting on the fence. She smiled and hopped down, saying "Hurray! It's been a long time since we had a visitor! Welcome to Lon-Lon Ranch!" She started pulling me into the ranch, toward a small shack. "Where have you come from? You have a fairy…you must be from the forest!" the girl babbled. I frowned. "Um…we didn't come to sightsee…" The girl pulled me into the shack. "Everyone's a night owl around here…well, everyone but Dad." Navi flew up to the man sleeping on the hay. "Hey, it's the guy who gave you milk!"

Whoa! That guy is this girl's father? She put her hands on her hips and yelled "Father! What are you doing?! We've got visitors! FATHER!" The man woke up with a start, mumbling "What? I'm awake!" then flumped back down and was asleep again. This guy is a heavy sleeper! Another guy holding a pitchfork, who was pretty skinny, grumbled "You woke Talon up just in time for his nap. Honestly! If it wasn't for me, nothing would get done around here!" He waved the pitchfork around. "We should rename this place Ingo ranch!" The girl cried "You're right, Ingo! You really do keep the place running!" Well, that was a theatrical scene. I'm wasting time! "Um…I'm in a hurry. I'm on a quest to find the Spiritual Stone of Water…" "Here, drink some of this." she said, handing me a jug of milk. She smiled sweetly. I frowned. She isn't listening. "Um…yeah…thanks…I guess…"

She led me outside and took me to the field where the horses ran, which was surrounded by a huge gate. I climbed up on the gate and sat on it. She hugged the pony. "I'm Malon, and this is Epona. She loves singing and music." "That must be why she came when you played the ocarina!" Navi said. Malon smiled and said "This is Epona's Song." She began to sing and I pulled out the ocarina and mimicked her voice with it. I climbed off the fence when Epona ran to me. Malon sighed and hopped up on the fence. I leaned on it. "Whew! Ranch life is nothing but hard, lonely work. I'm so tired." Why is it lonely? What about her mom and dad? Where is her mother? "Where's your mother, Malon?" Malon looked down at me and smiled a sad smile. "She died when I was young. But it's okay. Singing at night makes me feel better." I thought about how I missed everyone in the forest and how I played the ocarina often. "I guess that's how I am with this ocarina." Malon looked at the stars. "Sometimes I pretend that a prince will come down from beyond the moon…and take me away."

She looked at me again. "Do you have a dream, Link?" I thought about it. "A dream? Yeah, I guess so." I thought about the Great Deku Tree's words. _"Learn about the world and grow big…"_ I smiled at Malon. "My dream is…to see the world." We stared out into the night for a while. I noticed something flying this way. I pulled Malon off the fence and pushed her behind me just as a humongous owl landed on the fence. The owl smirked at me. "Hoo-hoo! I can see you've grown quite strong, Link." I don't trust this owl. "Who are you?" I questioned, glaring at the owl. "How rude!" The owl shook his mighty head. My name is Kaepora Gaebora." He spun his head upside down and closed his eyes. The bottom side of his head looks like a face! "I've known about you since you were a baby. The Great Deku Tree was an old, old friend of mine." The Great Deku Tree knew this owl? Kaepora looked serious. "Link, the Spiritual Stone of Water is in Zora's Domain."


	2. Chapter 5 continued

**Hey guys. Sorry about the first few chapters being together. I'll separate them out from now on. Anyway, enjoy the rest of chapter 5! Mew!**

**Claimer: I totally own legend of Zelda!**

Zora's Domain?! Kaepora extended his wings while chuckling. "Hoo-hoo! You should see that look on your face! If you want to know more, grab onto my feet. Well, he says he knew the Great Deku Tree and I need to get the Spiritual Stone of Water, so why not?

"Yes! Take me with you!" I yelled at Kaepora. I grabbed onto his talons and we took off toward Zora's Domain. Under me I heard Malon cry out "Link! Are you going already?" I looked down, smiled, and yelled back "I'll be back Malon!" She yelled "You better! You better come back!" I laughed and we flew off into the night.

…

"'You better come back' huh?" said Kaepora as we continued to fly towards Zora's Domain. "Hoo-hoo! You're certainly popular with the ladies. This is the third pretty girl you've got!" I thought about Saria, Zelda, and Malon and blushed. How does he know? "Quiet! Sheesh!" Kaepora just laughed.

After a few minutes of quiet, Kaepora asked "How's this view of the world?" I looked down. The fields spread wide, people wandering about. Looking at the stars, I guess. "It's really big! Everyone down there look like tiny bugs." I said in astonishment. "Guess we're all really small, aren't we?" "You may be small, but you've got the power to change the world. Link, you may think you left the forest because you wanted to…" Kaepora said. "…but the truth is it was your destiny!"

"What?!" I yelled in astonishment. How can it be my destiny? Then he let go of me. "_Soon you will learn the truth." _ I screamed as I fell until I hit the water. Then everything went black.

…

"Uhhhh….where am I?" I wondered aloud. I opened my eyes and saw a huge face in front of me. "Yikes!" I screamed. Then a Zora, I'm guessing, yelled "How rude! You are standing before King Zora!" I got up and looked around. This place is huge! There are waterfalls everywhere! "Is this Zora's Domain?" I asked.

King Zora said "Indeed…and who are you, m'boy?" I looked at him. "I'm Link. Princess Zelda told me the legend passed down through the Royal Family. King Zora, please tell me how to find the Spiritual Stone of Water!"

King Zora looked worried. "A messenger from the Hyrulean Royal Family? We are sorry, but we can't worry about that right now." King Zora's eyes filled with tears. "Our beautiful daughter, Princess Ruto, has been swallowed by Lord Jabu-Jabu." Lord Jabu-Jabu? The Zora behind me said "Lord Jabu-Jabu is the Zoras' guardian spirit. He lives in the fountain. I looked at them all in wonder. "Your guardian ate the princess?"

The Zora beside the king yelled "Lord Jabu-Jabu has been acting strange lately. Ever since that Ganondorf guy came!" I clenched my left fist and asked the king "Ganondorf came here too?! Tell me what happened to the princess!" King Zora answered "She's probably still in Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly." Then the tears spilled over. "Even though tomorrow is the day she was supposed to be married to our kingdom's most handsome man." The Zora beside the king smiled, which means it must be him.

I smiled, pointed at myself, and yelled "King Zora! I will go inside Lord Jabu-Jabu and rescue Princess Ruto! But I need your promise that if I succeeed you'll give me the Spiritual Stone of Water!" King Zora threw his hands in the air and said "Done! It is a Royal Decree!"

I made a thumbs-up and said "Great! Let's go Navi!" King Zora held up his hand as I was about to run off. "Take this weapon with you." King Zora handed me a strange item called a boomerang. "It has been passed down through generations in the Do Bon Family. It is sure to be helpful inside Lord Jabu-Jabu."

I took the boomerang, yelled "Thank you King Zora!" and ran off to the fountain.

…

At the Zora's Fountain, there was a humongous fish! "Is this Lord Jabu-Jabu?" I asked out loud to no one in particular. Navi said "He's certainly big enough to swallow a person whole!" Well, big or not, I have to save Princess Ruto so I can get the Spiritual Stone of Fire! I pulled out my sword and began hitting Lord Jabu-Jabu with it. Hey, Lord Jabu-Jabu!" I yelled. "Give back Princess Ruto!"

Navi shoved on my shoulder. "Stop it Link! He's a guardian spirit, so make an offering to him." That's a great idea! I pulled out a fish that had been given to me by one of the Zora's as his thanks for my willingness to help and said "Lord Jabu-Jabu, please partake of this."

Lord Jabu-Jabu's eyes seemed to pop out at the fish. He began to inhale it…and us! "Waah!" I screamed. "Just the fish! Just the fish!" And then we were swallowed by the guardian spirit.

…

I had been traveling for a while inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly, calling "Hey Princess Ruto! Spiritual Stone…no…Princess Ruto!" Then I heard a scream from down a tunnel. "Over there!" When I rounded the corner, I saw Princess Ruto…and a big, weird looking monster surrounded by jellyfish!

As one of the jellyfish was about to attack Princess Ruto, I quickly grabbed her around the waist and ran. Once we were a safe distance away, I set her down. "Are you all right Princess Ruto?" I asked. "I'm glad you're not hurt! Then she slapped me.

"Peasant!" she yelled. I rubbed my cheek. "I am Ruto, princess of the Zoras! And just who are you?" I huffed. "The king asked me to come rescue you!" Ruto looked thoughtful. "My father?" Then she glowered at me. "I don't need any help!" What is going on? I ask to help her and she won't let me?

What are you saying? Everyone's worried sick about you!" I held out my hand to Ruto. "Come on, let's get out of here!"

"No way!" She yelled, running back in the direction of the monsters. "Why don't you get out of here?" I ran after Ruto because I knew that she wouldn't be able to survive the monsters. Suddenly, a jellyfish headed straight for Ruto!

"Watch out!" I yelled at Ruto. Navi yelled "Wait Link!" But it was too late. I cut the jellyfish in half and a jolt of electricity shot through me. I screamed until it faded. Navi yelled "Those are Flying Electric Jellyfish! If you hit them with your sword, you'll get a nasty shock!"

Dang it! How am I going to defeat this thing? I dragged myself over to Ruto and held out my hand. "Are…are you alright?" I puffed. "Whaddya say we get out of here?"

She stared at me for a few minutes, then said "If you really want to, then go get that stone." Ruto folded her arms. "I dropped it when Lord Jabu-Jabu swallowed me. She pointed to the huge monster and I noticed the stone poking out from under it. "If you get it back, I'll come with you."

"You got it!" I yelled, running at the monster. Ruto yelled "Just a sec!" pulling on the collar of my tunic. "You're not planning to leave me alone, are you?"

…

I ran with Ruto on my back, which meant I couldn't use my hands to fight. Ruto said "Carrying me is a great honor. You should feel proud." "But I can't use my hands!" I yelled. "How'm I supposed to get the stone?!"

As I continued running, I didn't realize the tentacle that went for Ruto until it was too late! The tentacle grabbed Ruto and held her high in the air. Then a jellyfish headed straight for her! She screamed.

I pulled out the boomerang." "Time to try this thing…" I hope it works! I threew the boomerang and it killed all the jellyfish, cut the tentacle holding Ruto, and received the stone, which came right to me along with the boomerang! "Got it!" I yelled as I caught the boomerang and the stone.

I unsheathed my sword and jumped into the air, yelling "And now…!" I hit the huge monster with all my might, which made it explode. "You did it Link!" Navi yelled. I ran over to Princess Ruto.

"What's the meaning of tossing me around!" Ruto yelled. I smiled and held the stone out to her, saying "Sorry,sorry. Here's the stone." Ruto frowned and sniffed. "That was scary." I gave Ruto a sympathetic smile. She looked up at me.

"The truth is…I wasn't swallowed by Lord Jabu-Jabu." she said. "I came here to hide." I looked at her in amazement. "Wh…why?" Ruto stood up and said angrily "My father…He arranged a marriage for me and never even asked what I thought. He prattles on about 'our little princess' this and 'our little princess' that. But I have my own feelings." Ruto's voice rose to a shout. "I'm not my father's doll!"

I stared at Ruto for a minute and then scratched my head, saying "It sounds like you've got a lot of trouble." Then I smiled and put my hands behind my back as Ruto wiped her eyes. "But I'm envious." I said. "The Great Deku Tree, who was like a father to me, was killed…and I can never see him again." I held my hand out to Ruto. "You've got a father who's worried and waiting for you…let's go back."

Ruto stared at me for a couple minutes and then turned away. "Okay…" she said quietly. "…but first I want to give you something special." I stared at her back in bewilderment. "Huh?"

Ruto turned back to me with the stone in her hand. "This is the Spiritual Stone of Water-the Zora's Sapphire. It's a stone I'm supposed to give to my fiancée…"

She handed it to me, saying "…sort of like an engagement ring. But I think I'll give it to you instead!" "All right!" I yelled. "I got all three spiritual stones!" I ran toward the exit, which was Lord Jabu-Jabu's mouth, shouting behind me "Thanks!" to a smiling Ruto.

As soon as Navi and I got outside the fish's mouth, I asked "By the way, Navi, what's an engagement ring?" She was silent as she thought, but seemed to be unsure, too.

…

As I neared the castle, I said "We gotta hurry back to Princess Zelda!" I did it Great Deku Tree! Then I got a good look at the castle and realized that… "Hyrule Castle…is burning?!"


	3. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The Hero of Time is Born

All of the people of Castle Town were evacuating. I shoved my way through the crowd and raced up the steps of the castle. "Zelda!" I yelled. I looked around and noticed Zelda, held to Impa, standing before Ganondorf. I don't know what they were talking about, so I started running down a flight of stairs.

Then Ganon launched himself at them! He smashed the ground where they had been a second before. Impa carried Zelda as she killed the Stalord with a saber. "Zelda!" I yelled.

When she saw me, she called out "Link!" "I'm coming!" I yelled as I continued down the stairs. Then another Stalord blocked my way! "Get outta my way!" I yelled.

The Stalord laughed. "Pip-squeak. Just try to get past me…just try!" I unsheathed my sword and swung at his leg, but it just put itself back together! "I didn't feel a thing." Then he swung his mighty sword at me, knocking the Deku Shield out of my hand.

When I looked, the Deku Shield had fallen into fire and was burning. "The Deku Shield…" I noticed Impa running toward the front of the castle. That's where she got on a white horse, putting Zelda in front of her.

I ran after them as they headed for the drawbridge. "Zelda!" I yelled, because I knew I couldn't catch up. "Link! she cried, reaching for me. Then she threw something. The Ocarina of Time! Then they disappeared into the night.

I picked up the ocarina and looked to where they had disappeared, then looked down. Why did she throw this to me? Then I heard a clip-clopping behind me. I turned around. Lightning flashed as Ganon reared his horse.

He smirked at me. "Boy…hand that over. Now!" I glared at him and unsheathed my sword. I jumped and made a go for his side, but he blocked with his arm! I continued to swing, but couldn't do any damage.

Ganon raised his hand, which was glowing with dark magic. When it hit me, I screamed as I was knocked back. I lay there, dazed. Then I look over to see Ganon picking up an ocarina. Wait. That's…Saria's ocarina!

Ganondorf smirked down at me and then galloped into the night. That's when it started raining. I felt tears run down my face. I gripped the grass and yelled into the sky "It's no use! As small as I am…I'm no match for him at all. What should I do?!"

I closed my eyes and slumped. "Even though I found all the spiritual stones…Zelda…" I thought back to when I met her. We had played and talked. She had told me many things.

_The entrance to the Sacred Realm is the Temple of Time. The key to open the door is…the Ocarina of time._

As soon as I thought about that, the tears stopped. I held up the Ocarina of Time. "Zelda left me the Ocarina of Time. Navi! We have to go to the Temple of Time!"

…

I ran up the steps to the Temple of Time. The inside was quiet, in an eerie sort of way. I saw a stone tablet at the front and ran up to it. It said "_He who gathers the three spiritual stones must stand here…and play the Song of Time. If he does…"_

"That song Zelda taught me…" I murmured. I pulled out the Ocarina of Time. The triforce on the slab glowed and the door opened. I walked through.

"Link, that's it!" Navi said, flying to the middle of the room where a sword was in a stone slab. "The legendary blade…the Master Sword!" I walked up the stairs to it. I grabbed ahold of the handle. If I have this sword…will I be able to defeat him? With a grunt, I pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal.

Suddenly, it felt like I was filled with power. What's happening to me? Then I saw Ganon. He laughed, looking triumphant. Wait! Then everything went white.

"Link…awaken chosen hero!" Hero? Has a hero arrived? Then I was in a mystical place in the middle of a platform. I looked down at myself and noticed that I was taller and my clothes were slightly different! "Wh-what happened?"

Navi flew around me. "Link, you're an adult! You grew up!" I grew up? But it felt like not long before that I was 10! Then I heard a voice. "Calm down and look around Link." I look over to see an old man. He says "My name is Rauru. I'm one of the ancient sages who built the Temple of Time and forged the path to the Sacred Realm. My body is long gone, but in this Chamber of Sages I can talk to you."

I look at my hand, which now has a glove. "What in the world happened to me? I pulled the sword free, and then…nothing." Rauru nodded. "The Master Sword is a sacred weapon that evil creatures cannot even touch. Only one who is worthy of being the Hero of Time can pull it from the pedestal.

"However, you were too young to be the Hero of Time. So you fell into a magical sleep for 7 years." Seven years? So many things must have happened then! Rauru said "In those seven years, Ganondorf went through the door you opened and infiltrated the Sacred Realm. He seized the Triforce of Power! His evil magic now threatens Hyrule." So it's my fault! I opened the door!

"However, hope yet remains! Lift the curse placed over the five temples…" he said. "…and awaken the five sages. If the sages and the Hero of Time combine their strength, they can overcome Ganondorf's magic." I look down at myself again. "I'm the…Hero of Time?" I asked. Navi flew up. "Wow, Link! If the Great Deku Tree could see you, he'd be amazed!"

Rauru smiled. "The Great Deku Tree knew your destiny. You probably have already noticed that you are not really a Kokiri. Royal Hylian blood flows through your veins, just like Princess Zelda.

"_Long ago, before Hyrule Kingdom was unified…amid the fires of war…you were born to the house of a knight in service to the Hyrulean King. However, your father died in battle. Although she was mortally wounded, your mother took you…and desperately fled the burning palace…into the forbidden woods, before she passed away. The Great Deku Tree saw the baby…_

"Sensing a destiny linked to the future of Hyrule, he took you in. He knew that someday you would leave the forest." Rauru said. "But the Great Deku Tree raised you lovingly, like all the other Kokiri." I nodded, but still couldn't believe it. "I'm a…Hylian." I murmured. I was different from the other Kokiri. I had known it for a long time.

Rauru said "From this day forward you will face many trials, even more difficult than those you've already seen. That is your destiny. But do not fear." I close my eyes for a few seconds, then open them slightly. "I'm not afraid." I said. "I am an adult now, and I've grown strong. Now I can face Ganondorf fairly!"

I grabbed the handle of the Master Sword. I unsheathe it. I look up as I see that I am back in the Temple of Time. If this sword chose me…If I am fit to be a hero…I will fight! I will defeat Ganondorf. And this time…

I WILL PROTECT ZELDA!


End file.
